Lenskart revises in-store style guide after ‘bindi, tilak’ row, allows all religious symbols

The updated style guide introduces notable revisions. Unlike the previous version, which barred bindis, the new policy now explicitly permits “religious, cultural, or family marks (such as bindi, tilak, sindoor, or any other).”

Similarly, the earlier restriction on religious threads like kalawa has been lifted. The revised rules now allow “cultural or religious items such as sacred threads, bangles, kalawa, mangalsutra, kada, or any other.” Employees who choose to wear a hijab are allowed to do so.

Addressing the controversy, the company wrote, “If any version of our workplace communication caused hurt or made any of our team members feel that their faith was unwelcome here, we are deeply sorry. That is not who Lenskart is, and it is not who we will ever be.”

See the post here:

We have heard you. Clearly and openly. Over the past few days, our community and customers have spoken – and we have listened.

Today, we are standardizing our In-Store Style Guide and sharing it publicly and transparently: https://t.co/lC8KlLLUZm

These guidelines explicitly and…

— lenskart (@Lenskart_com) April 18, 2026

Founded in 2010 by Peyush Bansal, Amit Chaudhary, and Sumeet Kapahi, Lenskart began as an online platform for contact lenses and has since evolved into a fully integrated omnichannel retailer with its own design, manufacturing, and retail operations.